The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R on the sand dunes at Silver Lake State Park in Michigan.Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail
When an auto manufacturer calls its own product “ridiculous”, that usually means the driver can count on a wild ride.
That’s definitely the case with the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R, which the company has equipped with “a ridiculously powerful” engine to make it the fastest F-150 Raptor ever. That powerplant is the core of this new Raptor offering and what really separates it from the rest of the F-150 lineup. The base F-150 starts around $42,000, the F-150 Raptor around $102,000 and this new Raptor R is a pretty big leap to more than $142,000, and for good reason.
The new powerplant is a 5.2-litre supercharged V8 that cranks out 700 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque in a vehicle that is in 400 pounds lighter. To compare, the plain F-150 Raptor has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that makes 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque.
The new Raptor R engine converts a great deal of gasoline into a snorting, thumping outrageously loud animal that can take on just about anything. Our test drive on the sand dunes at Silver Lake State Park in Michigan proved its beast status is legit.
The interior is spacious and well designed.Supplied
From the moment you start it up, the throaty growl emitting from the twin exhausts hints at a barely contained, angry creature, waiting to be unleashed. And unleash it we did, charging up immense dunes at full throttle, hooning about in two-wheel drive with the traction control off, and finally flying through the air over jumps.
But the test was not just off-road. Our drive out to the dunes was a 50-kilometre rush through a dark and stormy night, with lashing rain and traffic. Having jumped in the driver’s seat just moments before departure, it was a unnerving to be racing in a convoy of trucks at speeds that were well above my comfort zone. But the truck is so competent that no amount of wind or downpour upset its composure on the highway.
There is a forward-facing camera that predicts the tire track as you drive.Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail
Acknowledging that they heard a lot from fans asking for the V8, Tony Greco, Ford’s Raptor R program manager, said the Ford Performance team had wanted to build this truck for a long time, but said, “to bring the power you need a chassis that’s worthy of it.”
To get there, Ford beefed up the rear suspension with unique trailing arms and springs that help keep the truck stable in high-speed off-road driving. Its shocks are tuned to balance ride quality and roll control on and off the road. Wheel travel of 13 inches in front and 14.1 inches in the back gives the truck better capability and feel while driving over rough terrain or sand.
The lighter weight was achieved through the use of aluminum, cutting 500 pounds from the previous chassis. The addition of standard 37-inch tires added 100 pounds, Greco said.
All this comes together in three selectable drive modes, with Baja tuned to deliver a comfortable ride during high-speed desert running, in particular. Our test in Michigan dunes may have been a workout for the truck, but for the driver it was an exhilarating, edgy ride that still felt under control.
The Raptor R feels invincible – push it into tough situations and it responds with power and finesse that make the steeps surmountable, and deep sand feel like a kid’s playground. It excels in turning the great outdoors into a giant adult funhouse.
But with a price tag of close to $150,000, that will be a very exclusive playground. Ford won’t say how many they plan to build, but the company is accepting orders now for delivery in this winter.
Ford stuffs the biggest engine it could into a race-ready chassis.Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail
Tech specs
2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R
- Base price/as tested: $142,905/ $145,455
- Engine: 5.2-litre supercharged V8
- Transmission/Drive: 10-speed automatic/Four-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 22.8 city, 15.9 highway
- Alternatives: Ram 1500 TRX
Looks
Everything about this truck says, “Don’t mess with me.” It’s tall and imposing, with a blacked-out grille and massive hood scoop. Huge 37-inch tires, Raptor R red logo and tow hooks complete the no-nonsense look.
Interior
There’s a lot going on in the cockpit of the Raptor R. Multiple displays and controls give it the feel of a jet aircraft, but with a luxurious ambience. It’s spacious, and well designed, with all the top-of-the line F-150 features – the fold down desk in the centre console, for example – and emblazoned with the bold orange Raptor R insignia, just so you don’t forget what you’re driving.
Performance
This truck is all about performance. Ford has stuffed the biggest engine it could into a race-ready chassis and the results are phenomenal. It’s fast and feels unstoppable. The product of years of development, the Raptor R is the pinnacle of Ford’s off-road lineup.
Technology
The Raptor R keeps the driver informed of engine, suspension, gearing and tire status on a digital 12-inch cluster. The 12-inch display screen offers multiple camera views, including a forward-facing camera that also predicts the tire track as you drive. It’s a huge help, showing what’s below the truck when cresting a steep dune and all you can see through the windscreen is sky.
Cargo
The Raptor R has a cargo payload of 1,400 pounds, and can tow up to 8,700 pounds. It is available with only the 5.5-foot bed, and SuperCrew cab, which leaves plenty of room for interior storage with the rear seats folded.
The verdict
The Raptor R lives up to its billing as a ridiculously powerful, off-road machine. But is so much more than that, with excellent road manners and practical pickup truck capabilities to complement its excesses.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail
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